Monthly Archives: January 2014

Winter break definitely has its perks — no homework, no tests to study for, the freedom to binge-watch television and sleep in guilt-free — but it also has its drawbacks. In addition to the winter break blues, over your month-long break from school you might notice a change in your diet and exercise.

Although relaxation and a little indulgence can be a part of your winter break, at the same time it’s important to know how to stay healthy so that you can continue these good habits when you head back to class.

How to Stay Healthy Over Your Winter Break

Keep Up the Exercise

Wondering how to stay healthy as your winter break wears on? Keeping fit with exercise is a key part of the process, but it might be easier said than done. The gym on campus or in your apartment complex is so convenient to use — and since it’s a part of your tuition and fees or your apartment rental total, the gym is definitely a place you should visit often while at school. On winter break, you don’t have the same easy access to these top-of-the-line fitness facilities, making it hard to keep up with your exercise regimen.

This just means that you need to be a little creative. When you’re focused on how to stay healthy over winter break, you can move your exercise outside by jogging around your old neighborhood during more temperate winter weather. If bitter cold forces you to stay in, try some workout DVDs or indoor cardio, like walking or jogging in place, running up and down stairs, or doing jumping jacks.

Watch What (and When) You Eat

Yes, winter break often means that you avoid the less-than-healthy options at the dining hall — and with your parents often feeding you, subsistence won’t hinge on a college budget that only yields cheap pizza and mac ‘n cheese. But if how to stay healthy is your chief concern, you also need to watch your eating habits and nutrition over winter break. Being home means home cooking, and not just on the holidays. You might eat an extra helping of your favorite dish, reasoning that you won’t get to eat it when back at college. And fuller cupboards at your parents’ place might lead you to snack too much or at odd times throughout the day. You need to monitor your diet over winter break, watching what you eat and when you eat it.

Make Yourself a Schedule

Part of the fun of winter break is the lack of structure — but at the same time, not having any sort of schedule can throw your body out of sorts. For this reason, you should create a schedule to follow over winter break. It doesn’t have to be a rigid one with a 6 AM wake-up call, but you can still plan your times to eat, exercise, relax, spend time with friends and family, and most importantly, sleep. Getting enough sleep is key on your quest to stay healthy over winter break.